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Light Brown Apple Moth and Common Leafrollers in California W. K. Frankie Lam, Ph.D., Entomologist, UCCE, Monterey County Marc E. Epstein, Ph.D., Senior Insect Biosystematist, CDFA The light brown apple moth (LBAM) belongs to the leafroller moth family (Tortricidae), which is the sixth largest family of butterflies and moths (Order Lepidoptera). In North America, there are approximately 1,200 species of leafroller moths that consist of many important pest species. In California, these leafroller pests include apple pandemis, codling moth, fruittree leafroller, garden tortrix, obliquebanded leafroller, omnivorous leafroller, orange tortrix, oriental fruit moth, and western avocado leafroller. Many leafroller moths, including the LBAM are brown, have 1/3 to 1 1/3 inches wingspan, and often hold their wings over the body in a bell shape when at rest. Wing color variation is common in leafroller moths; the LBAM also exhibits considerable wing pattern variation (Figs. 1 and 2). This complicates the identification of the species, while increasing the chance of confusing LBAM with other leafrollers or vice versa. Characteristics of LBAM adults Simple, threadlike antennae. Male moths are often light brown with dark brown oblique markings (Figs. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, and 2D). Some male moths have a two-tone wing pattern with the basal half (near the body) of the front wings pale yellow or light brown and the distal half (away from the body) is reddish or dark brown (Figs. 1C and 2C). Front wings of females vary from uniform light brown with almost no markings or dark spot in the center to the typical oblique markings as in some males (Fig. 1D). Front wing costal folds, found only in the males, are curled from the front edge of the wing over the top surface on the basal half (Fig. 3A). It is difficult to distinguish the egg, the larva, and the pupa of leafrollers by morphological features. A shinglelike egg mass of omnivorous leafroller, a larva of LBAM, and a pupa of fruittree leafroller is shown on Fig. 4. If you suspect that you found LBAM on plants, please contact the local Agricultural Commissioner, the local University of California Cooperative Extension, or call 1-800-491-1899 for submitting specimens to the LBAM Project. Fig. 1. Dorsal view of pinned light brown apple moths (photos by Megan O’Donnell and Marc Epstein, CDFA). 1A - Male 1D - Female1C - Male 1B - Male Fig. 2. Lateral view of pinned male light brown apple moths (photos by Megan O’Donnell and Marc Epstein, CDFA). 2A 2D2C 2B